Guide to Managing for Optimal Habitat Attributes: Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) May, 2020 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This guide was developed by Sue Michalsky, Ashley Cole-Wick and Heather Peat Hamm with technical and editorial input from Rodrigo Solis Sosa, Marian MacNair, Andre- Philippe Drapeau-Picard and Alessandro Dieni. The project was financially supported by the Department of the Environment of the Government of Canada (Environment and Climate Change Canada), through the Canada Nature Fund granted to the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP). Ce projet a été réalisé avec l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada agissant par l’entremise du ministère fédéral de l’Environnement (Environnement et Changement climatique Canada). Thank you to all the PCAP Partners and other organizations who provided support into this project: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mission Monarch, Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan, Paskwa Consultants Inc., Parks Canada – Grasslands National Park, Ranchers Stewardship Alliance Inc., and University of Regina. Many sources of information were used in compiling this document including expert opinions and both published and unpublished literature. Literature used in compiling this review is provided in the References section. May, 2020 i This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada. Ce projet a été réalisé avec l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. i ABOUT THIS GUIDE ..........................................................................................................1 A New Approach To Managing For Species At Risk .........................................................1 Who Should Use This Guide? ...........................................................................................1 How To Use This Guide ....................................................................................................1 MONARCH BUTTERFLY MODULE .................................................................................3 Monarch Identification And Life Cycle ............................................................................3 Where Do Monarch Butterflies Live? ...............................................................................5 THREATS ............................................................................................................................7 Habitat loss .......................................................................................................................7 Mowing and Burning ........................................................................................................8 Predation & Natural Disease ............................................................................................8 Climate Change ................................................................................................................8 Pesticides ..........................................................................................................................9 BEHAVIOUR AND HABITAT USE IN CANADA ............................................................ 10 HABITAT REQUIREMENTS FOR MONARCH BUTTERFLY IN SASKATCHEWAN . 14 Breeding Habitat Characteristics .................................................................................... 14 Nectaring Habitat Characteristics .................................................................................. 15 Migrating and Staging Habitat Characteristics .............................................................. 16 OTHER OPTIMAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR MONARCH BUTTERFLY .... 19 INFORMATION GAPS...................................................................................................... 20 ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT INDEX FOR MONARCH HABITAT ............................. 21 Criteria And Scoring ...................................................................................................... 21 ii Screening Criteria For All Habitat Types ....................................................................... 22 Natural Habitat .............................................................................................................. 23 Egg Laying and Larval Habitat ............................................................................................. 23 Nectaring Habitat .................................................................................................................. 27 Migrating and Staging Habitat .............................................................................................. 29 Agricultural Cropland .................................................................................................... 30 Egg Laying and Larval Habitat ............................................................................................. 30 Nectaring Habitat .................................................................................................................. 33 Migrating and Staging Habitat .............................................................................................. 35 Restored Habitat............................................................................................................. 36 Egg Laying and Larval Habitat ............................................................................................. 36 Nectaring Habitat .................................................................................................................. 39 Migrating and Staging Habitat .............................................................................................. 41 Other Criteria ........................................................................................................................ 42 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 43 iii ABOUT THIS GUIDE A NEW APPROACH TO MANAGING FOR SPECIES AT RISK The intent of this guide is to determine site and landscape-scale habitat features that are optimal for species at risk at different life stages, as well as important non-habitat related beneficial management practices. As habitat for species at risk declines and threats to populations increase in jurisdictions outside Canada, it becomes critical to provide optimal conditions on what remains in Canada if we are to conserve or recover a species. This First Approximation of the guide for Monarch Butterfly should be considered a living or dynamic document that will continually evolve. As our knowledge of prairie species at risk improves with research and monitoring, this guide will need to be periodically revisited and updated. WHO SHOULD USE THIS GUIDE? Most species at risk in Saskatchewan exist on working agricultural lands that often support grazing livestock and sometimes support annual or perennial crops. Some occur in forested areas that are managed for industrial forest products or local use of trees for poles, posts or firewood. This guide provides habitat targets and non-habitat related beneficial management practices (BMPs) for land managers who may have the opportunity to aid in the conservation of species at risk on the land under their control. Additionally, the habitat targets and BMPs may be used by conservation organizations in designing results-based agreements with land managers. The Environmental Benefit Index is designed to be used by any stakeholder to prioritize sites and/or projects for conservation and recovery programs, or by land managers to evaluate the value of their property for a particular species. HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE This guide is presented in two parts. The first part summarizes the important spatial and temporal needs of the species and presents habitat targets and non-habitat related BMPs. Habitat targets for this species are presented at the site scale and categorized by the type of habitat required at different life stages. Site scale targets are those attributes that individuals prefer at a certain time (e.g., breeding, foraging, staging or migrating) or in a certain portion of their home range. Site habitat targets are most commonly physical vegetation, water, soil and/or topography parameters, but may also include such attributes as configuration of land cover or habitats, presence/absence of human infrastructure, among others. The rationale for each target or BMP is also provided so land managers can readily understand the relationship between the target and use of habitat by the species. Guides have been prepared for individual species. Habitat targets for individual species give the land manager the choice of species they wish to benefit. Managing for a single species may result in habitat that is undesirable for another species. Conflicts between species are addressed in the 1 Environmental Benefit Index. The second part of the guide presents an index (Environmental Benefit Index) that places values on the habitat targets and BMPs in combination with other considerations. An Environmental Benefit Index (EBI) is a compound index that considers multiple environmental factors when determining an ecological outcome. EBIs can be used to evaluate and prioritize opportunities for conservation programs. An EBI is of considerable importance in determining priority sites to invest in, particularly when funds are limited. The overall goal of the EBIs for species at risk habitat is to ensure maximum environmental